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The God of Deep Waters

Unaligned

Like all of the gods the Zephir still honor, its name is not used outside of certain priestly rituals; otherwise, a euphemism is used. This god is called the Dark One and He of the Threshing Tail, but the most common title is God of Deep Waters.

This god is likened to the deep ocean, stagnant water, and slow-moving rivers; it's honored at funerals, scholarly and magical initiations, and judicial proceedings. It presides over both secrecy and revelation, and is associated, truthfully or not, with most of the negative aspects of life: the helplessness of birth, the finality of death, and the awkward dealings of adolescence are attributed to this deity. Nevertheless, it's not considered evil or (actively) malevolent. Its colors are white and black, and its sacred animal is the shark. (Most predators in Zephir culture are also given euphemisms, and sharks are no exception. The proper name for a shark, unless one is very brave and foolish, is Kind One or Kindly One, and indeed, they are considered to be personifications of vengeance or the anger of the dead.)

There's a bit of a rivalry between its followers and those of the God of Swift Waters, but it's usually friendly. Few Zephir openly honor this god, though more of its followers become priests, so the numbers balance out some. Its favor is not asked lightly: only its priests routinely ask for it to intervene, while others generally beg its forbearance if anything.

Its commandments are:

Seek out that which is hidden from you. Explore everything, especially that which is barred to you.

Fear nothing. Many of the world's glories lie in its horrors.

The mind is the greatest weapon of all sentient creatures. Hone it and sharpen it, learn to use it well, but remember as well that it is not the only tool available to you.